Trenton becomes 'numb' to near-constant violence; new murder record set in capital city

TRENTON — Inside Italian Peoples Bakery on Butler Street this afternoon, the calm order of business as usual had returned.

A man walked to the deli counter to order a turkey and provolone hoagie. Ten cannolis were being filled to satisfy an order. Lottery tickets were bought.

It was a marked change from the day before, when a city man was shot numerous times and killed on the sidewalk in front of the landmark bakery’s front door at lunchtime. The slaying, which set an unwelcome record for the city, came after two men had chased the 26-year-old victim on foot from Hamilton Avenue, firing as they ran.

Carmen Guagliardo, the bakery’s owner, was back at work again today, presiding over the serving of customers. He said the brutal killing hasn’t changed how the business relates to the Chambersburg neighborhood.

“Gang members are problems,” he said. “Neighbors and employees, that’s who we serve.”

Guagliardo talked about the violence in a matter-of-fact way, speculating that people in Chambersburg have become too accustomed to the city’s violence.

“They are numb to this,” he said.

The midday fatal shooting in front of the bakery left Brandon Nance dead and set 32 homicides as the new benchmark for yearly slayings. Unfortunately, the mark comes with time to spare. Four full months of the year remain before the calendar turns over.

At-large Councilman Alex Bethea has been thinking of those who have died so far this year, and of all the family members and loved ones left behind in the tragic wake of shootings and killings.

“I pray that God will give us a little more wisdom on how to handle this situation,” Bethea said. “It certainly has been a challenging one.”

Georgette Truitt is a Sanhican Drive resident whose teenage daughter was shot in the leg in front of their home in June. Truitt said the rampant drug dealing and occasional shooting in her West Ward neighborhood has robbed her of enjoying the outdoors.

“I used to enjoy sitting on my porch, I don’t anymore,” she said. “It’s not safe.”

Police Director Ralph Rivera Jr. said the year’s violent crime has been a challenge for the department.

“If you look at overall crime, it’s a little bit down,” Rivera said Thursday. “But the reality of life is our shootings and aggravated assaults and homicides are up.”

Mayor Tony Mack has not been available for comment on the latest killing, and has attempted to deflect questions about crime and public safety in recent days. Mack has said he believes media coverage of crime in Trenton does not compare fairly with the news reported from suburban towns.

The previous city record of 31 slayings was reached in 2005 during the administration of Mayor Douglas Palmer, as gang warfare tore through the city. Reached by phone this afternoon, Palmer declined comment.

Fighting violence

In the wake of all the upheaval of 2005, organizations like Fathers and Men United for a Better Trenton came together. Fathers and Men attempts to mentor young men and keep them from harming others, but this year has seen the killing continue despite their efforts.

“Fathers and Men is saddened from the deepness of their heart we have come to this point,” said Jason Rogers, Fathers and Men president, as he loaded up food and gifts for the group’s community picnic in Cadwalader Park tomorrow.

Fathers and Men United for a Better Trenton chair Jason Rogers talks about the organization with a reporter in Trenton's Cadwalader Park on Friday, July 12, 2013. Martin Griff / The Times of Trenton

“We hope this killing will bring people together, from the community all the way up to the governor’s house,” Rogers said.

“People are fearful,” said George Muschal, the city council president and former Trenton police officer, who sees businesses and residents moving out of the city because of the increasing violence.

“You’ve got to change the tactics, the way the police department is running,” he said, and called for the return of the city’s Tactical Anti-Crime (TAC) unit, or some other pro-active force.

“At least they had fear when they see the units pull up there,” Muschal said. “Right now there is nobody challenging the individuals packing guns.”

The New Jersey state troopers have surged into Trenton at least four times since early 2012. Now, on their Targeted Integrated Deployment Effort (TIDE), which kicked off Aug. 15, authorities are using more troopers and focusing on the East and West Wards in an attempt to quell violence.

Acting Attorney General John Hoffman’s office said Thursday it believes the effort is working. Shootings have occurred nearly daily in Trenton since the springtime.

But after a robbery late Sunday night that left a 72-year-old man wounded, the city experienced a three-day window without a shooting victim until Nance was killed.

Rivera agreed with Hoffman and said that TIDE is having an impact. He sees troopers at work during evening rides he takes around the city to scope out what’s going on in the streets.

“You can see the State Police,” Rivera said. “They’re stopping cars, they’re asking questions. They’re getting out of the cars, they’re talking to the residents.”

But Truitt, who watches as state troopers and Trenton police stop young men on Sanhican, said that few arrests are being made.

“They run ‘em up, they line ‘em up, they check ‘em out and let them go,” Truitt said.

The past and future

In 2005, the 31st homicide came just days before the year ended, one Dec. 28.

Jenero James Hall was 26 and an alleged affiliate of the Bloods street gang. He was shot three times in the head on Pearl Street near Benton Street, and found in a walkway between two homes.

Before 2005, Trenton’s former record for homicides in a single year was 27. The mark was set in 1970 and repeated in 1979.

Police said today they were in the early stages of their investigation in the shooting that took Nance’s life, and had no updates on the killing. No arrests have been made in the case.

Italian Peoples closed for a few hours Thursday while police investigated the homicide, but opened as soon as the police lines were moved back enough for customers to get in the door, Guagliardo said.

“We might close a couple of hours, but this won’t deter us,” he said.

Italian Peoples on Butler Street opened in 1936. The business name has grown to have locations in Morrisville, Pa., Mansfield, Ewing and Hamilton. Despite the city’s increasing violence, Guagliardo said he won’t close the Chambersburg location.

“We can’t leave. We won’t leave. People depend on us,” he said.

Anyone with information on the homicide should call police at (609) 989-4170, or the Confidential Tip Line at (609) 989-3663.

Trenton Crime-Stoppers can be reached at (609) 278-TIPS (8477), online at trentoncrimestoppers.com or by texting information and keyword TCSTIPS to 274637. Text STOP to 274637 to cancel and text HELP to 274637 for assistance.